Sewn Together with a Smile
by rosegirl220
Summary: After hearing about a new advertising direction for the Thneed; Oncie goes to confront Greed-ler. But the gree-suited man won't tolerate sadness, and decides to...fix him. Rated T for general dark-theme. please tell if rating needs changing
1. Smile, Smile, Smile

Oncie had finally reached his breaking point.

For three months he had tolerated Greed-ler just...being there in his life. (they had avoid a few situations when they were accidentally caught together in public by saying they were newly discovered lost twins, but still kept a low profile) From running the entire Thneed factory practically single handed or actually getting the respect of self-centered and snobs he was forced to call a family. But this time; this time he hit him where it hurt!

He actually had the nerve to try to make the Thneed advertised as this...this thing you used to tie your children to a chair when they misbehaved!

_His_ invention! His _family friendly _invention!

Need less to say; Oncie was fuming when he heard about the new angle suggested for their advertising.  
Oncie, with a fire fresh in his belly, then marches right up to the huge oak doors of Greed-ler's office. He then slams them open, and, as usual, finds Greed-ler at his overly-sized truffula-tree wood desk doing who knows what kind of paper work - an amused grin playing on his lips.

"Greed-ler!" Oncie angrily shouted at his counterpart.

The green suited man keeps eyes on the paper before finally looking up at Oncie. "Hello Once." Greed-ler says rather cheerfully. He had an expression that, while showing he was thinking about something totally different, was relaxed.

"Don't "Hello Once" me! Did you really think I wouldn't find out?!" Oncie says - his voice going slightly harder with each word. Greed-ler looked confused for a moment, but then breaks out in a series of amused chuckles.

"I take it you've heard about the new advertising direction?" Greed-ler asked with slight tease.

"Yes I have, and...and it's crazy!" Oncie screams. "Greed-ler, for god sakes, the new commercial showed parents tying their child to a chair because they were acting up! This is a family friendly product; not a devise you use to punish kids! That would send the wrong direction for our factory and company!" Greed-ler's lips then seem to spread into a more wide smile, and he suddenly bursts out in howling-like laughter.

"I think you mean my factory and my company Once." Greed-ler corrected him. "You're just here for the ride, babe."

"Okay, that is it!" Oncie hisses; going up to Greed-ler's desk, and slamming his down angrily on it. "I'm sick and tired of you, Greed-ler! I don't know why you suddenly think this is all a joke, but it isn't! It's reality, and, in reality, I'm the one in charge! And, if you remember; I was the one who originally made the Thneed! I was the one who dragged myself to town until the people finally stopped throwing tomatoes at me long enough to see my invention's use! So by right; it's all mine! The factory, the company, even this office! I'm the original, and your just a useless copy!" Oncie then starts to breath heavily after his rant, but his heated blood suddenly turns to ice once he gets a look at Greed-ler.

His per-occupied expression is now very down to earth. The amused smile on his face was now gone, and his green eyes were filled with an emotion that can only be classified as rage. Greed-ler then stands up, and walks around the desk toward Oncie. The innocent man then takes a step back, but Greed-ler still gets centimeters from his youngers face.

"So...in other words...you're not happy?" Greed-ler asks in a low, boarder-line whisper tone.

Oncie gulps, and begins to shake a bit. "...n-no...I-I'm not..I'm not h-happy at all." Oncie instantly regretted his answer as soon as it rolled off his tongue. He had expected Greed-ler to lash out on him, but, randomly, Greed-ler gets a curled smile.

"You know Oncie...I don't tolerate sadness here." Greed-ler says; putting emphasis on the word tolerate. "Now you know what I have to do?"

"W-what?" Oncie asks slowly; scared of the reply.

Greed-ler's smile then seems to widen, and he leans in a bit more. "I'm going to have to _fix_ you so you'll be _happy_ all the time."

The way Greed-ler said the words "Fix" and "Happy" were enough to cause a shiver of fear to run up Oncie's spine. Before he could ask Greed-ler what he meant, his older self suddenly grabbed his arm. The following struggle ended with Greed-ler pinning Oncie face-down on the carpet. Greed-ler suddenly ties something around his mouth, his eyes, and bounded his legs and arms.

Oncie had never been so terrified in his life.

He then felt Greed-ler pick him up, and sling him over his shoulder like a human rag doll. Moments of traveling seemed to drag on, and a million thought were going though Oncie's head.

_Where is this maniac taking me? Is he going to kill me? Why did he blind-fold me? And what did he mean by...fixing me?_

The thoughts continued for several more moments, but then Greed-ler suddenly put Oncie into, what the innocent man guessed was, a chair of some kind. The binds were taken off, but, instantly after being taken away, they were replaced with what felt like...fuzzy restraints. The chair Oncie was in seemed to get leaned back, and thing covering his mouth along with his blind-fold were removed. At first, the glare from an over-head light blinded Oncie, but, when his eyes adjusted, the innocent man took in his new surroundings.

The room vaguely resembled one used in hospitals for surgeries. The walls were a gray color, and the floor had brilliant white tiles. But, other than the piece of furniture Oncie was tied to, the room seemed to be otherwise empty. As Oncie had thought; he had been bound to a chair like ones you'd find at the dentists office - ironically with a Thneed instead of the custom strap. And beside him, leering down at him with a almost-crazed looking smile, was none other than Greed-ler.  
"G-Greed-ler...w-where am I?" Oncie asks; trying his best to wriggle out of the restraints but ultimately failing.

"In relative terms," Greed-ler began in an eerily calm voice. "We're somewhere in the factory only I know about. I had actually kept this room aside and secret for...experimental purposes. Of course, in figurative terms; we're in space. And, ya know, there's this funny thing about space." The green-suited man then bends down, and speaks right next to Oncie's ear. "No one can hear you scream." Oncie's eyes widen, and he struggles harder.

"I...I want you to let me go!" Oncie demands, but it dulls to more of a plead.

"Oh, but my dear naive friend, you're not fixed yet." Greed-ler explains; standing up straight once more. He then walks over into the shadows, but then comes back wheeling something.

A cart with only four items.

A syringe, a small jar that was labeled "Anesthesia", a needle, and a spool of green thread.

Oncie gulped. "W-why d-do you n-need those things?"

"To fix you, of course." Greed-ler answers as he carefully fills the syringe with the anesthesia in the jar. He then puts the two items down, and suddenly picks up the needle - spinning a bit idly in his hand. "It's funny. I've always wondered how sharp a needle had to be to pierce through more than just simple fabric. I guess today I get my answer." Oncie's heart practically stops beating for a full second. Greed-ler was...was going to some kind of horrible, twisted operation on him!

"P-please Greed-ler!" Oncie shrieks. "L-Let me go! I-I promise I'll n-never get in your way again! I-I'll even move out of the factory, a-and you'll never hear from me again! Just...p-please let me go!"

Greed-ler's eyes gleamed in satisfaction, and laughed cruelly - putting the needle back on the cart. "Oh, it's a little to late for apologies Once. You yelled in my face, and specifically told me you weren't happy. I have to fix that." Out of the corner of his eye; Oncie sees Greed-ler pick up something from the cart. "Besides, I'm doing you a great service." Greed-ler then lifted his arm, and drove the syringe deeply into Oncie's left shoulder - injecting all of the liquid into the innocent man. "You won't be conscious to feel a thing." Oncie's body instantly starts to go limp, and, soon, his whole world gets forcibly gets plunged into darkness.

Terrible, maddening dreams played in Oncie's head. All involving Greed-ler and the needle...

He hadn't been sure how long he'd been out, but, regardless, Oncie's eyes slowly began to open. The chair was now in an upright position, and the restraints on his hands and feet were gone - both being replaced with a single Thneed tied around his waist and to the chair.

"Ah, you're awake." Greed-ler's voice says from somewhere in the room. The greedy man then appears from the shadows, and suddenly puts a finger under Oncie's chin - tilting his whole head up. "I gotta say...this is some of my best work. You should feel honored to have this done to you, Once." The innocent man, now fully awake and in reality, was confused by his olders words.

He tried to ask him what he meant, but...no words came out.

In fact...his whole mouth just felt...numb.

"That's right; you still need to see my handy work." Greed-ler says; reaching over to the cart that was suddenly beside him. He then picks up the only item laying on the cart: a hand mirror – offering it to the younger male. Oncie, with shaking hands, slowly takes the mirror from Greed-ler, and slowly lifts it to his face. "So, what do you think?" the question went UN-noticed by Oncie because he was busy staring at his own reflection in terror.

His mouth was now sewn into a smile with the green thread (now more of a weird purple color due to the blood from his lips that had soaked it) that had been on the cart. A small stream of blood ran from his mouth to chin. He then slowly brings a trembling hand to his lips, and runs his fingertips along the stitches. A new set of questions started to fill Oncie's head.

_How would he even breath and eat?! Were the stitches permanent?! Could one even survive with their mouth sewn shut?!_

"If you don't wanna suffocate; I suggest breathing through your nose." Greed-ler says in a rather bored tone. Oncie then realizes he'd been trying to heave in and out through his mouth, but, for obvious reasons, it failed. Oncie then forced himself to calm down, and started to steadily breath in and out of his nose. "And don't be such a baby. It's totally possible for a person to live with their mouth sewn shut. Now, if you do as I say, and be a good boy, I'll consider taking the stitches out in about three months. If you don't, well, lets just say I have many torture methods I've been dying to try out." Greed-ler then gets his taunting smirk back, and his tone changes to match. "So, Once, did you learn something today?" Oncie's eyes suddenly fills with tears, and his entire being fills with fear.

But, he slowly nods.

"Good." Greed-ler says; victory dripping like fresh honey in his tone. "And is it clear that I'm the one who's in charge? That your just my play-thing I can break and throw away any time I want?"

Again, Oncie gives a slow nod.

"Congratulations Once, you actually learned something. Now, I'll leave you to reflect on today's little lesson." Greed-ler then ruffles Oncie's hair a bit, and turns to walk away, but turns back around instead. "Oh, and, if you even try to remove the stitches; I'll just have to re-sew them. And, next time," Greed-ler then leans in, and gets only an inch from Oncie's face. "I won't be giving you anesthesia." Greed-ler then smirks right in Oncie's face, and slowly ran his thumb across Oncie's slightly swollen lips – causing a rush of pain to Oncie. Greed-ler then stands once more, turns around, and walks out.  
Oncie looks in the direction Greed-ler went, but then his gaze slowly lowers to the mirror in his lap that was previously forgotten by even himself. His reflection stared back at him...that hideous sewed-smile...

Suddenly, as if not in control of himself, Oncie finds himself throwing the mirror to the ground - causing it to shatter into a million little pieces.

After what he had done caught up with him; the lanky man slowly lifted his legs into the chair, and hugged his knees to his chest. He then rests his head on his knee-caps, and lets soundless tears flow from his face. He was now a monster...even if the stitches were taken out; he'd be to scared to speak ever again. After a few good minutes of crying; Oncie then starts to notice the silence around him. In a completely different state of mind...he actually wished Greed-ler were still there - if nothing more than just to talk and ward off this terrible silence filling the room.

But...Oncie knew he had to get used to it...for it was going to be his only companion for a long time.


	2. Paradise by Mirror Shards

_Spri-i-itz _

The bottle of Windex Oncie was using to clean Greed-ler's massive window in his office that over-looked the entire valley suddenly ran out. The innocent man tries shacking it to get even the tiniest bit of cleaner still in the bottle out, but it was revealed to be completely empty.

Oncie sighs silently.

It had been exactly two and a half months since Greed-ler sewed poor Oncie's mouth shut into a horrid looking smile. It honestly hadn't been as bad as the lanky man had thought, (despite having to only breath through his nose, and have all his meals be served through a tube) but...it was the silence that really got to him. Hearing nothing but the sounds of grinding gears from the factory all day...having to hear his thoughts suggest the option of suicide but knowing he's never be brave enough to ever do it...and almost constantly being alone. Sure, Greed-ler would come in from time to time and ward off these things, but...Oncie was now terrified of his older self, so his presence was anything but relief.

So, he took up an alternative way to keep his mind distracted: Cleaning.

Although, it wasn't like the occasional dusting there or mopping here. No. Oncie cleaned the huge office constantly. It was just busy work so the insanity gnawing at the back of his mind didn't have a chance to break through. Although, his excessive cleaning caused supplies to go rather quickly, but, other than the occasional grumble about having to make multiple trips to the store, Greed-ler didn't have any problems with Oncie keeping his office so clean.

Oncie then tosses the empty spray-bottle into a nearby trash can and got another sheet of paper towel from the roll he had sitting on the carpeted floor.

He then wipes off the remaining Windex on the window, and, off in the far distance, he saw the most beautiful spot of unspoiled land. A spot where Truffula trees were still growing proudly, and, by some miracle, the sky stayed a clear blue shade.

In Oncie's mind; it was a paradise.

The innocent man had actually spotted the place days before, and, ever since, had been dreaming of it. To run away there, leave everything he knew behind, and never have to come back to this god-awful factory again...to never have to see Greed-ler again.

But...it was a fading dream.

Every day the still-flourishing area of forest grew further and further away; it succumbing to smog-filled skies and deforestation. Besides...deep down Oncie knew that anywhere he's run to...Greed-ler would track him down one way or another – forcibly taking him back to the factory.

Oncie sighs silently, and, suddenly, he catches his eyes in the mirror. He then looks more closely, and, soon, he sees his full reflection.

Oncie couldn't help but think he looked anorexic.

His arms and legs are now boney, and were probably as strong as tree-twigs. His face, which was once a healthily plump, was now sickly-looking thin; his cheeks sinking in. Dark circles were found under his eyes, and, to top it all off, he could clearly count six ribs on each of his sides.

Skeleton was the first word that came to his mind.

Oncie suddenly finds his hand reaching out to the window, and touches the cool glass. He stared at his reflection...wanting to frown at it, but is forced to see himself smiling happily. Suddenly, voices (which sounds eerily similar to Greed-ler) start taunting him in his head.

_Why are you still living, you worthless freak of nature?_

Oncie's hand on the glass clenched into a fist, and, without really even thinking about it, hits the mirror slightly as the voice continues to talk.

_You little wimp...you're not even brave enough to save yourself through suicide._

Oncie's eyes filled with tears, and he started hitting the glass a bit harder – using both of his now in-fists hands this time.

_What do you even have to live for? No one will want _you _with that hideous smile._

Tears were streaming out. Oncie was now beating the glass with all of his strength – his rage at himself for letting this happen rushing into every hit. But, unbeknownst to the innocent man, his blows to the window cause little cracks to form.

_By the way...why so serious?_

That was the last straw. Oncie brought back his hands for another hit, and he struck the window exactly where the cracks began to form.

_Cra-a-ack!_

The cracks on the mirrors grow, and, soon, the whole mirror shatters. Oncie quickly ducks down to avoid getting cut, and, after a few moments, slowly looks up. The window had shattered into a million pieces. Oncie stayed in the middle of the glass mess for a moment, but, soon, stood up – glass bits sliding off his back like beads of water after a day of swimming. Oncie sighs silently at the mess he made, and was about to get a broom so he could clean up when...a particularly jagged piece of glass on the floor caught his eye.

It was in a shape similar to that of a diamond, but with a claw-like curve at the top. Suddenly...Oncie got a crazy idea.

He then swopped down, and snatched the jagged piece of glass off the floor like a hawk does with a defenseless rabbit. Oncie then looks a the reflection of his face in the piece of glass, and...he knew what must be done. He then carefully placed the claw-like part of the shard behind the first stitch in his mouth, and closed his eyes tightly before jerking his arm in the direction the stitched went.

_Ting! Ting! Ting!_

The glass cut through the thread with ease.

There was a slight pain, but it soon subsided. Oncie then slowly opens his eyes to find that the blood-soaked green thread previously sewn into his mouth was now laying on the floor – making him gasp out loud in complete shock.

He couldn't believe it worked!

Oncie glanced down to the shard he used to cut the stitches, (he noted the claw-like corner now had a bit of blood from his lips on it) and...saw his face was normal looking. Once then runs his fingers across his lips to make sure it wasn't just a dream, and a real, genuine smile broke out on his face. Plus, aside from a few small holes around his mouth where the thread was woven into; even Oncie himself would never have guessed he had a sewn-on smile at one time if it didn't happen to him first-hand.

"This...this is a miracle." Oncie says quietly but happily – the weight of a giant burden finally being lifted from his weak and pail shoulders.

It was odd to hear his own voice after so long of not hearing it.

Regardless; Oncie sighs happily. He could actually talk again, breath properly, and even feed himself rightly. In fact...he didn't even need the factory or Greed-ler anymore! Sadly, as soon as Oncie though about his older self, his exact words echoed in his mind.

_Oh, and, if you even try to remove the stitches; I'll just have to re-sew them. And, next time, I won't be giving you anesthesia._

The innocent mans heart sank at the realization.

When Greed-ler saw he had taken out the stitches...there's no telling what he'd do. Sew the stitches right back, obviously, but...his older specifically told him he had many torturing methods he was dying to try out. God only knows what kind of sick, twisted things Greed-ler had up his green sleeves...who knows; he might even go as far as killing him!

"Once?" speak of the devil. "I heard this loud crash. You better not be breaking my things in there!"

The innocent mans heart speed up. He felt like he was stuck between a rock and a heard place. Panic quickly envelopes his brain, and...only one command gets through loud and clear.

_Run!_

That was all the motivation Oncie needed. He nimbly made his way through the glass on the floor, and slipped out through the balcony window he just smashed.

_Run. Run! RUN!_

Oncie chanted these words as he hurried down the winding stairs off to the side of the balcony. And, as soon as his feet hit the ground at the end of the steps, Oncie actually got froze – staring wide eyed at the once magnificent Truffula Forest.

It was anything but that now.

The green grass had turned a sickly brown, and, for miles, all that could be seen were Truffula Tree stumps. Oncie found the sight heart-breaking. How could he have not seen the terrible shape the valley was now in? Sure, he figured it was bad, but...he'd never imagined it was like _this_...

"Once?" Greed-ler is heard calling out. Panic fills the innocent man, and he quickly breaks into a run. But, out of the corner of his eye, Oncie sees Greed-ler is now on the balcony – having a bewildered expression at first, but soon shouting multiple cuss words at the fleeing man.

_Just keep going! Don't look back!_

Oncie didn't argue with himself. He kept his eyes on the path ahead; not even stopping to cough as the smog-filled air unpleasantly tickled his throat. The innocent man then continues running until he had cleared two hills of the former valley before deeming it safe enough to stop and look back.

The factory was miles behind him, but...even the current distance felt to close for Oncie's liking.

"I'm never going back there as long as I live." Oncie vows to himself and the barre waste-land around him. He then realizes he has to be near the patch of growing Truffula Trees he saw from Greed-ler's office. So, the innocent man then turned his back to the factory, and began walking toward where, he hoped anyway, the paradise was laying in wait. As he walked; guilt swelled within him as he saw row after row of tree stumps. But, as he continued...he noticed something odd.

None of the forest creatures seemed to be around.

Oncie was confused by this, but he thought that, maybe, all the animals had already gone to bed. He then looks up to the sky to try and judge the time, but the tick layer of smog in the sky made it impossible to see even the sun itself.

"Just another great perk of the factory." Oncie grumbles sarcastically before groaning in annoyance. He then searches the sky for breaks so he could catch a glimpse of the suns position, but, instead, spotted clear-blue skies off in the distance. Confused, Oncie squints in confusion, and, when he looks straight ahead, he sees the tops of the remaining Truffula Trees.

It was the place he'd been envisioning.

"I...I actually made it!" Oncie says; beaming with both pride and joy. He took a few steps toward the still distant patch of forest just ahead when the ground started to rumble slightly. Oncie stops, and, when he looks around, he sees a group of Bar-ba-loot bears running frantically past him.

Pipsqueak, the youngest of the bears and Oncie's little buddy, was among them.

"Pip?" Oncie says in confusion. Suddenly, the rumbling grew more intense, and, when Oncie quickly turns around, he sees what the Bar-ba-loots were running from.

The roving machine was of a powerful design, and obviously made for destruction. It rolled on the ground with two massive wheels, and had three spinning ax blades at it's front – cutting anything that came into it's path. Oncie knew it was to late to get out of the monstrous machines line of fire, and closed his eyes tightly to brace himself for the blow.

"Beanpole, look out!" a familiar voice shouts.

Something suddenly crashed into Oncie's side, and the innocent man finds himself tumbling down a nearby hill. Soon, though, he stops and lands harshly on his stomach. After the sting of rolling down the hill passes; Oncie notices a crushing pain in his right arm. He looks down, and sees...the blade had cut pretty deep into his arm – causing blood to come rushing out.

"You better be glad I saw you in time to push you out of the way, beanpole." the familiar voice griped slightly. The Once-ler then looks over, and, not to far away from him, and familiar orange furred and yellow mustached guardian was getting up.

The Lorax.

"Why are you even out here? Come to watch the earth suffer up-close? Or is it one of those "Press Opportunities" your always gushing about" The Lorax says coldly; looking away from the innocent man. Oncie then realized The Lorax was talking about his other, but...the guardian went on a rant before he could speak up. "You know, you really have a lot of nerve even stepping a foot outside that monster you call a factory. I could have let you get chopped up by that machine, _your_ machine, just now...I _should _have...but I didn't." The Lorax then sighs, and his shoulders sag a bit. "...maybe now...you'll actually listen to me. Please, beanpole, you have to stop-" The Lorax then looks up, and, upon seeing it was indeed Oncie instead of Greed-ler, gets wide eyed.

The two stared at each other for a bit; Lorax totally flabbergasted and Oncie now feeling even more guilty then he had when he passed all those tree stumps.

Finally, the Lorax spoke. "Beanpole...are...are you...you?"

"Lorax," Oncie begins, getting ready to try and explain how this could happen. (hell, he wasn't exactly a hundred-percent on it either) But...before he can...a voice booms from the distance.

"_Oooohhhh_ _Onnnnce!" _Greed-ler's voice suddenly carries from close-by.

Oncie's eyes widen, and, once again, his _Run! _instinct took over. The innocent man hurriedly scrambles to his feet, and takes off in the direction he was pointed. He swears he hears The Lorax yell out something to him, but Oncie doesn't register it.

He has only one focus at the moment: Get as far away from Greed-ler as possible.

Of course, as Oncie ran, he subconsciously knew he had no clue where he was going. The valley had no specific landmarks he could look for, plus it was crawling with those...nightmarish machines like the one he encountered earlier. And, to make things just that worse, the sadistic maniac who he had thought he left miles behind was now catching up to him. But Oncie stays focused only on running, and cancels everything else out of his thoughts.

Although, as the innocent man continued running; the world around him starts to fuzz dramatically.

It then occurred to Oncie that he did nothing to stop the gash on his arm the ax blade gave him from bleeding, and it had been freely draining blood – soaking the sleeve of his white shirt in red. At this realization; Oncie instantly feels light-headed. The innocent man shook the feeling off, and forced himself even more to continue forward in fear of Greed-ler catching him. But he was still losing blood at an alarming rate, and slowly starts to become disoriented. He still keeps running, however, but it wasn't long before he tripped over a inconveniently placed tree stump.

Although, instead of falling onto the ground...Oncie fell right into the nearby polluted river.

The dark, sludge like water instantly began to drag him down to the bottom of the river, and the innocent man begins to flail. He then forces himself to calm down a bit, and tries to swim to the side of the river. But, since he only had one good arm, (which was now starting to burn thanks to the polluted water getting into it) it made it hard for him to swim.

But Oncie wasn't gonna die without putting up a fight.

Granted, his head sank below the water-line a few times, he somehow manged to get himself over to the sides of the river. He then latched onto the shore, and, with his good arm, pulls himself out of the schlop-polluted water. His body then sends up the schlop that had unintentionally went inside his body.

The next few minutes were spent chucking up the schlop, and, after it was finally done, the innocent man took in how bad of a shape he was in.

The arm that had the gash felt as it were set ablaze, and the rest of his being was sore. After a few moments of keeping himself steady; Oncie collapses onto the ground. Schlop mixed in with blood still coming from his arm quickly surrounds his limp body. Everything starts to go in and out of focus as Oncie lays on the ground, and...something inside him screams this is the end. The innocent man was almost positive he was going to die, and...he strangely made peace with that fact.

Of course...a certain someone wasn't gonna let that happen.

"Well, well, well." the cold, mocking voice of Greed-ler suddenly says. Oncie's inwardly cringes, and he sees the nicely polished shoes his other wore suddenly in front of him – not daring to look up and not even sure he could. "Looks like my run-away is found. Once, you better be glad this is to out in the open to leave you here, otherwise this is where I'd finish you."

Oncie then feels Greed-ler harshly grab his hair, and start to drag him along the drying grass – a trail of the schlop and blood following as he got dragged.

The innocent man tried his best to simply struggle, but...he couldn't. He was just to weak. Soon, lights, most likely from the factory, are seen, and Greed-ler suddenly starts carrying his younger bridal-style. Oncie begins to black-out, but he hears Greed-ler's one last time before slipping into unconsciousness.

"Help! I need a medical team! My brother is badly injured!"

~o~o~o~

Lights shine through Oncie's closed eyes.

The innocent man stirs slightly, but then slowly opens his eyes. At first his vision was blurred, but, when it comes back into focus, he sees he's in...someones bedroom – wearing his favorite pair of dark blue pajamas with the yellow bunny print on them.

Of course, it wasn't like ordinary bedrooms.

It was much larger, almost the size of a huge living really, and had expensive-looking wooden furniture decorating it. On the floor was a beautiful Persian rug, and, in the center of the room was a giant bed – which Oncie was currently propped-up in. (most likely because his arm that had the gash was currently in a sling) The sheets on said bed - apart of also being expensive looking like a lot of the other items in the room - were a money-green color, and were made out of soft, slick silk..

_Wait...money green silk sheets...oh god...am I-_

Before Oncie could finish his thought, the door on the other side of the room suddenly opens. And, just as Oncie feared...Greed-ler stepped through the door.

"Ah, your awake." Greed-ler smirks as he closes the door behind him. "Good. I've been meaning to have a word with you for some time." Greed-ler then strolled over, and sat on the bed next to Oncie. "You're little escaping act knocked you out for a week straight, you know. Doctors tried to give this BS excuse that you had lost to much blood for them to do anything, but, once I flashed a little cash their way, they had you patched up in two days." Greed-ler then laughs before adding: "That's just another thing you'll be paying for later – along with the shattered window of course."

Oncie tries to respond, but...his mouth has a familiar numb feeling.

"I can see by your expression you've realized I re-sewed your mouth." Greed-ler says with a slight amusement. Oncie was confused. He'd been making some sort of face? "Yeah, I spared you pain, but I couldn't risk you yelling and a nearby employee coming to your rescue, now could I? Although...I intend to make it up one little bit at a time. And, as it just so happens...the first bit is in this very room."

Oncie didn't like the way his older said that.

The innocent man give him a confused look, and this causes Greed-ler to smirk – pointing a finger to the ceiling. Oncie slowly looks up to see...his own eyes staring right back at him.

"Like the mirrors on the ceiling?" Greed-ler asked in pure tease. "I never would have guessed something so..._simple _would make you go so ballistic. Seriously, when I saw you're face as you smashed my window, you looked mad enough to commit murder."

Oncie blinked, and got a bit wide-eyed. Had Greed-ler said...he _watched _him break the window?

Greed-ler suddenly laughs before continuing. "Surprised, I see. Well, Once, I've been secretly watching you through the security cam in my office for awhile. Not out of perversion, mind you, but because I find your decent into madness better than television itself. I just happened to be watching when you broke the mirror, and decided to go to the office to scare you out of your skin" the amusement Greed-ler had in his tone vanished as as he spoke, and Oncie felt a chill go up his spine. "But then...when I actually showed up...you had cut your stitches out, and were running away like a bat fresh out of hell."

By this point, Oncie had stopped looking at Greed-ler, and was keeping his gaze to the green sheets.

It wasn't anything new for him. Greed-ler would yell at the poor innocent man for some sort of mistake he made, and, eventually, would leave him to be surrounded by silence. But...this time was somehow different. This time, Greed-ler Oncie's chin, and lifted his head up so they're eyes met.

"God damn you, look at me when I'm speaking!" Greed-ler snarled – catching Oncie totally by surprise. "You don't know _how _much trouble I almost got into because of you, you worthless little brat! People heard you break the window, the whole _freaking _world probably heard that, and they saw you run away from the factory! They. _Saw_. You! Do you _realize _how many questions that raises?! And the press just had a _field day_ when I they saw me carrying you back in such bad condition! They were nearly _this _close to figuring out everything! You better be those reporters were to pea-brained to catch on! But if they had, oh, _the trouble _you'd be in right now if they had!" Greed-ler trails off suddenly, and his sneers twists itself into a smile. "Sorry...I lost my smile for a second there...but now it's _back_!"

Oncie had never been so horrified.

Greed-ler just did a total one-eighty on his emotions, and...Oncie swore he saw...this new evil, twisted glint in his money-green eyes. But...he knew it just had to be his imagination.

"Of course...I won't have a smile if you step out of place again." Greed-ler says a bit coldly – ironically smiling the entire time. "Because, if you do...you'll be the first in my new Thneed project."

Oncie got a hopelessly confused look. What did he mean by a new Thneed project?

"That's right...I haven't told you about it yet." Greed-ler's smirk then widens to a Cheshire-like proportion. "You see Once...I'm not an idiot. I've known about the tree's fate since day one. But, instead of stopping all of this, I simply came up with a plan B! You see...Thneed's don't _have _to be made of Truffula Tufts. There are plenty alternatives...like Bar-ba-loot fur." Oncie's eyes widen, and...he saw imagines of defenseless little Pipsqueak being skinned and made into a Thneed in his mind. "And once those run out I'll just use Swomme-Swan feather, then onto Humming-Fish Scales, and, finally, we'll be using my personal favorite," Greed-ler then leans in, and whispers two chilling words into Oncie's ear that almost makes his heart stop. "Human skin."

Gruesome, graphic thoughts of innocent people being skinned alive to make his product suddenly went through Oncie's head. His stomach then churned uneasily, and...he was sure if his stomach wasn't empty, he would have thrown up it's contents. Greed-ler then leans back, and...Oncie saw the glint from earlier wasn't just his imagination after all.

It was there, and...somehow...Oncie knew that the man next to him wasn't Greed-ler anymore. His other had gotten consumed by his own greed, and his body was now just the puppet it was controlling.

"Oh, don't worry Once." Greed-ler says – reaching out and twirling a strand hair on Oncie's head around his finger. "I won't let the big bad machine hurt a single hair on your head...as long as your existence remains of use to me."

Greed-ler then plucks the hair on his finger out of Oncie's head, and stands up.

"Well, I must be off. Tomorrow's the day I officially begin work on making an alternative Thneed." Greed-ler then makes his way to the doorway, but then turns back. "Oh, and get plenty of sleep. Tomorrow also begins you paying me back. You'll be waking up at 5:30 sharp form now on, and make my breakfast. The rest of your day will now be sent doing chores around the factory, and you'll only sleep when I allow it. Also, the privilege of staying hidden away in your room all day is now completely diminished – letting everyone see that pretty smile of yours." Greed-ler then gives a victorious smirk, and finally walks out of the room.

Oncie stares at the door for a moment, but then silently breaks down crying.

_I've...I've caused this. _Oncie thought miserably. _All of this suffering...this cruelty...all of it is of my doing. I should have listened to The Lorax when I had the chance... _The innocent man suddenly finds himself looking up, and staring into his reflection in the mirrors on the ceiling.

Instead of himself...he saw the begging of the evil to come.


	3. The Sand in the Hour-Glass Runs Out

_Tick...Tock...Tick...Tock..._

Oncie listened to the nearby wall-clock's rhythmic ticking and tocking as he put Greed-ler's usual morning omelet on a plate – seconds, precious time he'd never be able to reclaim again, passing him by.

It had been four months since Oncie tried to escape, and...it had been nothing but hell for him. Greed-ler had been making his poor younger self wake up at 5:30, just like he had threatened, and made him do hours of labor – not letting his poor other sleep until very late in the evening.

Although, despite how tired he usually was...the innocent man hardly slept.

Every night he'd watch silently from his slightly open bedroom door (said room was about the size of a closet) as his bothers Bret and Chet wheeled terrified looking animals locked in cages down the hall – unknowingly to the poor creatures demise. Then, later, when darkness fell, the pained screams of the animals begging for mercy echoed down the hall. Oncie tries to block out the screams, covering both of his ears and tear-stained eyes with the thin pillow Greed-ler provided him, but...they always broke through loud and clear. He'd then listen as the shrieks grew louder, and louder, and _louder_, until...everything just went quiet all at once.

Stabbing, heart-wrenching guilt would always hit Oncie at that moment...knowing that the animals demise was all his doing...

The innocent man shook the terrible memories from his thoughts, and carefully places the plate with Greed-ler's omelet onto a nearby tray. Along with said omelet were a pile of syrup-soaked pancakes, (the one thing Greed-ler actually enjoyed from his past) a small bowl of assorted fruits, a tall glass of orange juice, some silver-ware, and, finally, a stack of about ten napkins.

Just the sight of the food alone was enough to cause Oncie's stomach to growl harshly from hunger, but...he couldn't eat without Greed-ler allowing it. Literally.

Oncie ignored the obvious growl that had came from his stomach, and picked up the tray with Greed-ler's breakfast before exiting the room. He then travels down multiple halls, (thankfully they were out of the way of usual work-flow, so no one saw him) and eventually came to the familiar oak doors of Greed-ler's office. They were closed, as they normally were, and Oncie, of course, had to use both hands to keep the things from falling off the tray.

Oncie silently sighs.

Greed-ler couldn't make anything easy on him, could he?

Luckily the innocent man had experience with this, and he was soon turning the door-nob with the very tips of his fingers while keeping the tray perfectly balanced. He then pushes the door open with the side of his arm, and somehow, even with stumbling slightly on entry, gets into Greed-ler's office without spilling a single thing on the tray. The door slowly swung back closed, and an eerie melody that Greed-ler is humming contently sends a shiver of fear up Oncie's spine.

Greed-ler was sitting at his desk, and was busy sewing together what looked to be...to be...

The innocent man paled.

Greed-ler...Greed-ler hadn't been _serious _when he said he'd attempt to make a Thneed out of human skin...was he? Oncie started to shake terribly, but forced himself to cross-over to the desk the green suited devil was seated at – something his other had said previously echoing in his thoughts.

_Seriously, when I saw you're face as you smashed my window, you looked mad enough to commit murder._

The innocent man never thought that statement would be true...but...he was proven wrong.

"There you are." Greed-ler says surprisingly happy; putting the thing he was working on aside so Oncie could place the tray in front of him. "I was wondering how much longer it would be until you brought me my breakfast. I'm starving." Greed-ler took a short pause as he suddenly looked Oncie over, and laughs. "Once, your shacking like a leaf! God, I've really made your life into a living hell, haven't I?"

There was nothing but satisfaction in Greed-ler's voice.

Oncie's hands balled into fists at his side, but Greed-ler either didn't notice or just ignored him because he started to eat some of the fruit in the small bowl. Oncie then happened to glance over at Greed-ler's little "project" at the corner of the desk, and he couldn't help but wonder...who it used to be.

Greed-ler apparently noticed this, and got a smirk before suddenly speaking up.

"Lauren." Greed-ler says after he swallow the current piece of fruit in his mouth. Oncie gave his other a confused look, and, another piece of fruit later, Greed-ler explains. "Her name was Lauren. She was one of those annoying people who claimed they were my _number one fan_. I mean, the girl would do _anything _to get my attention...and that's exactly what I used to my advantage."

Oncie eyes widened. An uneasy feeling in his stomach told him he knew where the story was heading.

"It was almost funny how easy it was to lure her here." Greed-ler comments; his smirk widening at the memory. "It was even easier to over-power her...she was just a short little thing, after all. Bled like pig at slaughter though. It took the janitors on staff an hour and thirty-minutes, and at triple the pay just to get the mess cleaned up and keep their mouths shut."

The innocent man was stunned.

Greed-ler had just...just admitted he killed an innocent girl who admired and most-likely loved him. _Worshiped _him from the way he was talking about her. Greed-ler sees Oncie reaction, and, after breaking off a piece of pancake with the fork, he decided to take it a step further – just to make his younger self more riled up than he already was.

"She never even saw it coming." Greed-ler states; taking a short pause as he quickly takes another bite of the pancakes. "All I had to do was distract her with a bit of making out, and, with a simple twist of the neck, she was dead. You really would've liked her Once...she was dumb, innocent, and easy to take advantage of. Just like you."

Oncie suddenly snapped, and everything seemed to go in slow-motion.

The innocent man quickly grabbed the sharp knife off the tray with surprisingly lightning-fast reflexes, and, before he knew what happened, Greed-ler had stumbled out of his chair and a few steps across the room – holding his right cheek in pain. It took Oncie a moment to realize it, but...he had just swiped Greed-ler with the knife. The green suited man slowly took his hand away form his cheek, revealing a long cut that went across his bottom lip, and stared at Oncie, who was staring back, in shock.

To say they were surprised would be the understatement of the century.

Oncie was the first one to snap out of apparent trance, and, as he saw Greed-ler slowly coming out of it as well, – his face twisting in rage – so Oncie decides to take action. The innocent man suddenly tackled Greed-ler with all the force he had, and, as he feels the green suited man trying to squirm out from under him, Oncie stops him by holding the knife he still clutched in his slightly trembling hands to Greed-ler's throat as a wordless way of saying he wasn't afraid to kill him.

The two stayed like this for a good five minutes, but, oddly, Greed-ler slowly smirks.

"Go on...slit my throat and kill me, Oncie." Greed-ler dared with an evil purr. "I _dare_ you. Go on...murder me like I did to that girl, and I grantee you'll love the pure _rush _of killing someone." Oncie tries to press the knife farther to Greed-ler's throat in an attempt to silence him, but...he...he couldn't.

Oncie could only think about how terrified Lauren must have felt, and...how he didn't want to do anything like that to anyone – even including someone as evil as Greed-ler himself.

"I knew it." Greed-ler taunts victoriously. "Your nothing but a frightened child, Once. I knew you'd never actually kill anyone...but me? Now that, _that's _a different story." Oncie fells an all-to familiar shiver of fear go up his spine at Greed-ler's words, and, before he could do anything, his other suddenly threw him off (could he have done that all along?) - sending the knife flying out of his hand and pinning him to the floor this time before Oncie could make a recovery. Greed-ler then smirks before snidely commenting; "Should have killed me when you had the chance, Once."

Tears suddenly formed at the corners of Oncie's eyes, and...he just wished Greed-ler would end this cycle of misery he called a life, and kill him.

"Now don't start crying like a little bitch." Greed-ler says a bit tauntingly – smiling wickedly to reveal his pointed teeth. "I'm not going to kill you...you're to much like me now to do that. But I _can _make the ones you care for _suffer_." Oncie was honestly confused by what Greed-ler had told him, but his other grabs his hair harshly and drags him back to the desk before the innocent man could react. Greed-ler forcibly put Oncie in the huge spinning chair, and bound him to it with a Thneed from his desk. (he always had a Thneed nearby, really) The green suited man gave his other a "I told you so" sort of smirk, and then left the room without saying another word.

Oncie, meanwhile, tries to struggle out of the restraints, but end up failing.

After a few minutes, the innocent man sighs in defeat. As he sits in the quiet of Greed-ler's office; is mind wonders what exactly his other had meant by what all he had said. About...making the ones he cared for suffer; he just didn't know who it could possible be.

His mother, brothers, Aunt, _and_ Uncle all worked for Greed-ler; so they were most likely safe. His father had died some time ago, and the Lorax, hopefully, could use his "Magic Powers" to escape any trap of Greed-ler he go caught in. So...Oncie was totally stumped on who Greed-ler was using agaisnt him. Plus...something Greed-ler had said to him kept replaying in his mind.

_I'm not gonna kill you...you're to muck like me now to do that._

Oncie continued to wonder what the words meant. Sure, the innocent man suspected Greed-ler had somehow came here from the future, but...did that mean-

Suddenly, Greed-ler came back into the office – carrying something at his side.

Upon further inspection, the Oncie sees Greed-ler was carrying...a cage. Inside was a small, skinny little thing for a – most likely a Bar-ba-loot bear. It's hair was a dirty brown, and, when it weakly looked up, it was revealed to have huge, sorrow-filled brown eyes. It only took seconds for the realization of the bears identity to hit, and, when it did, Oncie's heart sank.

_Pipsqueak..._

"Surprise, Once." Greed-ler smirks. "The little guy was caught a few weeks ago, and I was keeping him here just in case I needed to keep you in line. But, because of the little knife incident...it seems I'll no longer be needing him around."

Oncie struggles harder against the Thneed, but...it was to strong of a restraint.

Greed-ler smirks at his youngers reaction, and sets the cage on the floor. He then gets down on his knee, and opens the cage door - a slight _cre-e-eak _being heard_. _

"Hey there little guy." Greed-ler coos in a soothing tone, and extending a gloved hand. "Come here...I'm not gonna hurt ya." Oncie knew Greed-ler was lying through his pointed teeth, but...Pipsqueak was just to young and trusting to even consider anyone trying to deceive him.

The small bear slowly rose to his feet, and, after a few seconds of looking at Greed-ler, slowly starts to walk toward Greed-ler's outstretched hand.

_NO!_

Oncie tries to warn Pip in any way he could to not go near the green-suited devil, but it revealed to be very difficult since he was bound to a chair, and his mouth was sewn shut.

Out of the corner of his eye; Oncie sees Greed-ler swipe something off the floor – never taking his eyes off Pipsqueak surprisingly - and quickly tucks into his glove before Oncie could see what it was. He then picks up Pipsqueak as the bear stepped fully out of the cage, and placed him in his lap.

"Aw, your just a cuddly little thing, aren't ya?" Greed-ler says; getting the evil glint in his eyes that his young had come to fear. Pipsqueak, meanwhile, looked terrified but dared not move from the spot he was put into. "There, there Pip...you don't have any reason to be _scared_ of me...I'm your _friend_, remember?" Greed-ler then begins to soothing scratch Pipsqueak behind the ears, (like Oncie used to do when the little guy became frantic or couldn't be calmed with words) and this seems to relax him. But, Oncie then sees Greed-ler slowly take out the thing under his glove, and, after straining his eyes to get a clear view of it, his heart almost stopped when he identified the object.

_The knife!_

But...as soon as this was realized...nothing could be done. Greed-ler brought the sharp kitchen knife fully into his hand, and drove it right into Pipsqueaks back.

Oncie let out a muffled scream.

Pipsqueaks already big eyes grew wider, and the small animal staggered backward – going off Greed-ler's lap slightly. Pip then stumbles forward, surely to land on his face, but Greed-ler surprisingly catches him just in time. Of course...it wasn't out of good-will. And, just by the way his other had his arms positioned...Oncie almost wasn't shocked at what came next.

_SNAP!_

A quick, twisting motion of the head, and Pipsqueak's body goes limp. Oncie lets out another muffled cry, and he suddenly feels hot and heavy tears run down his face – lowering his head for his heart couldn't take looking at Pipsqueaks dead form..

"Well, that's that." Greed-ler says standing up, and brushing off his pants as if nothing had happened. Oncie then hears him stroll over, and walk behind the chair. Gloved hands suddenly snake themselves to his chin, and life Oncie's head up so he was looking at Pipsqueak who lay just across the room in a forming pool of blood due to the knife wound. "No. You look at him. Take the image, and store it in your memory. Let that filthy animals death serve as a reminder to you that I _can _and _will _attack the innocent if it's someone close to you whenever and however I want.." The Thneed that had been binding him to the chair is suddenly undone, and Greed-ler softly commands; "Now clean up your mess." before walking out of the room.

Oncie sat these for a moment...taking in all that had just happened...

The innocent man quickly springs up from his chair, and over to Pipsqueak's body – tears still flowing down his cheek like a river. With shacking hands, he takes the knife out of the fuzzy creatures back, and drives it into Greed-ler's carpet (he was probably gonna get yelled for that later, but he could honestly care less at the moment) before gently picking up Pip's body; cradling it like a newborn infant.

_Why...why did Greed-ler have to kill him? Why couldn't he have just killed me! I'm the one who pissed him off! Not him! Not Pip! _Oncie wonders; crying even harder as he held Pip's body closer to his chest.

Oncie stays in that position for the longest time; just wallowing in his own self-loathing. But, when he feels blood from Pip's back leak onto his fingers, the innocent man decides he need to at least clean the blood off his dead Bar-ba-loot friend...since he hadn't able to save him...

Oncie gently sets Pipsqueak back on the carpet, and goes over to Greed-lers desk – remembering he had stored rags in one of the more unused drawers at one point and time. He starts to open them at random, and, upon seeing what was in the third one...gets a bit wide eyed.

The drawer was...full of bullet shells and a silver revolver gun.

The innocent man silently gasped, and, as he continued to stare at the gun...he sees...his way out of this whole mess. Thick silence fills the room, and, as Oncie stares at his reflection in the guns sleek silver frame...he once again hears the sounds coming from the nearby wall clock.

_Tick...tock...tick...tock..._

Seconds seemed even more precious to Oncie than ever before.

The next decision he made would be what determined what his future would be like. But, a quick look back at Pip's body, and...Oncie knew what had to be done. So, the innocent man grabbed the gun, and starts to slowly load the gun.

"Once!" Greed-ler's voice suddenly booms from the hall. "I know what you're doing! Stop cuddling that damned dead bear, and get cleaning already!" Oncie begins shacking terribly, and he forced himself to move faster. He finally finishes loading the gun, and points it at he door just as Greed-ler bursts in. The green suited man looked momentarily taken back, but soon gets a taunting smirk. "Are we really gonna go through all this again? Face it Once; you could never kill me."

Oncie clutched the gun a little tighter. He knew Greed-ler was right...but...he wasn't the one he was planning to shoot. Oncie then twirled the gun so he felt the cool metal of the bud of the gun against his temples. Greed-ler gets slightly wide-eyed, and sneers.

"You wouldn't _dare_." Greed-ler hisses warningly. Oncie just glared back at him to show he was dead serious. "Once, if you pull hat trigger, I _promise _you I'll _drag_ your spirit down to hell with me, and make you _suffer_ for the rest of eternity as we both burn slowly!" Oncie was honestly a little shaken by his others words, but...it wasn't enough to stop him.

The innocent man knew nothing could be worse than this hell he was in now.

_BA-A-ANG!_

A simple pull of the trigger, and Oncie's body suddenly drops to the floor.

The innocent man lives just long enough to see Greed-ler's eyes roll into the back of his head, and his body suddenly falls forward – actually disappearing into nothing before he hit the ground. Oncie feels a feeling of relief and happiness rush over him, and then...darkness consumes his whole world.

_~o~O~o~_

Time began reversing itself.

The factory and everything in it (including Pipsqueak's body, the workers, the Thneeds, and even the stitches on Oncie's mouth) deteriorated until it eventually was his old cottage.

The official date was when history wrote Thneeds would become a success.

But...because of Oncie's actions...it didn't happen.

Instead, Oncie's body stayed on the floor for several hours until Norma (a girl from town Oncie had taken a liking to and wanted to get serious with before he had to stay held up with Greed-ler in the factory) came over out of worry, and saw the bloody sight first-hand.

Three days later a funeral in his remembrance.

All the people from the nearby town of Greenville came, – mostly due to them thinking his suicide was all their faults for treating him so badly – but no one was upset as Norma. He poor curly haired women was in tears, and almost yelled at every single person who attended Once-ler funeral.

After all, they weren't _really _sorry; they just felt guilty.

Eventually, the funeral ended, and, after all the people left, all the animals gathered around Oncie's grave – which was where his old cottage (that had been taken down a few days prior by the people of Greenville) used to stand proudly.

Even the Lorax attended; having a crying Pipsqueak by his side.

The guardian tried to explain the concept of death the little one, about how you don't come back when you die, but...he knew the little guy was hoping Once-ler would magically be back in his cottage one day; singing, dancing, and giving the forest creatures marshmallows as he usually did.

As the creatures cried over the loss of they're favorite human...The Lorax couldn't help but think he could have done _something_ to save the lanky man.

Of course...none of them would ever know the truth about why he shot himself.

About the monster Once-ler would have become...the lives he would have take...the pure devastation he would have caused. No...they'd remember none of that. They'd only remember him as the man who constantly got bullied by people who didn't understand him, and couldn't hang on.

Although...if Oncie were still alive...he'd tell you he'd rather it be this way.


End file.
